Stray
by WriteYourOwnStory
Summary: "It was an easy secret to keep, but a hard one to share, and Kuroko kept it to himself like the second skin it was. The time for secrets was over now, though. Kagami had seen everything. There was no hiding from it now. He just had to suck it up and get it over with.…How come he couldn't shake the fear those thoughts brought?" Werewolf!Kuroko [Updated: Ch. 2]
1. Stray: Pt1

Disclaimer: I don't own Kuroko no Basuke.

Note: Hello everyone! And welcome to my first-posted story! This is exciting—it's been five or six years since I've written a story on here! But since getting into the KnB fandom, I have been motivated like crazy to write! I'm really excited, so I hope everything goes smoothly!

I was inspired to write this after watching "Wolf Children", Syfy's "Bitten", and "Wolf's Rain"—(great shows and movie by the way)—as well as rereading the _Shiver_ Trilogy by Maggie Stiefvater, and her new book, _Sinner_ (great book series by the way). All in the span of a couple of weeks. I was in a real werewolf mood.

And if you haven't already guessed from my unintentional spoiler, this is a werewolf story. Pretty exciting, huh?

This is not a crossover with anything mentioned before (although _Shiver_ and 'Wolf's Rain' were the ones that really inspired me to write this)—it's just sort of a compilation of ideas from each one. I came up with most of the mechanics on my own. After the first two chapters this will become a drabble series. I have many ideas for this story and I can't wait to get them out!

The time-line for this one in the KnB universe takes place between chapters 49-57 of the manga (and the corresponding episodes of the anime—which I have forgotten!) It will go along with what happens, just in an altered way.

The theme music I chose for this one is "Stray" by Steve Conte (also where I got the title)—it's also the opening theme for "Wolf's Rain". I absolutely love it and I thought it fit really well. You can find the song on YouTube if you want to listen to it.

No slash/yaoi. Be warned for slight cursing.

All mistakes are mine—unfortunately, I am beta-less…

Ok, enjoy!

* * *

Stray: Pt 1

Kuroko squirmed in his seat for the hundredth time that day. He sighed tiredly and tried to calm his shaking hands. He looked up at the clock on the wall and almost scowled at how slow time seemed to tick by. The end of the school day was literally minutes away, but he didn't think he could hold out for much longer.

They had practice after school, but Kuroko already texted Riko earlier to inform her he would not be there. This would honestly be the worst day for him to attend basketball practice. He would much rather avoid a catastrophic situation if he had to power to do so. So calling in sick was his best option.

His stomach churned violently again and he tried to hide a wince. He could barely hold it in anymore and it was becoming almost painful. He knew it could only get worse though. At this rate he will have to run home before he lost it completely.

It's been like this for weeks now—having to use all of his energy to hold it back. A couple of times he was able to do it on his own, but triggers kept hitting him left and right, forcing him into it and making it harder to deal with.

It's been like this for him…ever since Seirin's game against Tōō Academy in the Interhigh preliminaries. Ever since they lost their chance to make it to Nationals. The team was despondent. Kuroko more so than the others, but not too noticeable for them to worry (_at least at first—annoyingly, they were starting to catch on_).

Facing off against Aomine (his ex-partner, his ex-light, his ex-best friend…) and seeing such dead eyes and hearing such cold words…it brought back memories he'd tried so hard to bury. His heart had become heavy in his chest once more and it was like the summer after he quit basketball—quit Teikō —was haunting him all over again…

'_Tetsu…This new school that you've found…Well, I'll make sure they lose all hope.'_

'_They will never want to see a basketball again after this.'_

'_Your basketball still works with mine the best.'_

'_Just give it up already, Tetsu!'_

'_The only one who can beat me, is _me.'

'_T__ōō High School wins the first match! The score is 112 to 55!'_

He couldn't do anything…he couldn't save Aomine from himself…he had failed…

He tried to listen to his coach, to his captain, to all his teammates as they encouraged, reassured…but all the stress, the hurt (old and new), and the utter helplessness (_uselessness_) just continued to pile up until Kuroko was to the point where he was—literally—ready to blow a gasket.

Not to mention…

Kuroko's attention was drawn from his staring contest with the clock to the redhead sitting in front of him. His eyebrows furrowed slightly.

The weeks following Interhigh involved more than just their loss. Kagami was affected just as much as Kuroko was—maybe not in the same way, but something had changed. And not just with Kagami himself, but between the two of them. His new Light was becoming distant with him and Kuroko was becoming concerned. They didn't speak to each other at all the week after the tournament. It's just been so hard for Kuroko to talk to him lately, and seeing as how the teal-haired boy is less likely to start a conversation most of the time, things remained awkward and stressed between them. Kagami wasn't in practice either due to his still-healing legs. When he returned the following week, though, things were still no better.

Kuroko also noticed, almost immediately, when Kagami returned to practice the change in his play. It was like he had reverted back to the way he played when he first joined Seirin. Not selfishly—not like Aomine, not like the others—more like he was playing by himself. Alone. He wasn't relying on the others. On Kuroko. It was eating him up inside.

And then, Kiyoshi showed up. Kuroko knows that he should respect him because he is their senpai—and one of the founders of Seirin's basketball club—but they guy just rubbed him the wrong way. When he'd challenged Kagami for the ace position on the team, it only served to heat up tensions even more. It was like the Uncrowned King was trying to prove a point or something. And Kagami and Kuroko were at the center of that 'point'. The phantom player still remembered his first meeting with Kiyoshi…

'_The sixth player is a specialist. Though…I haven't seen such an extreme specialist like you before. The only thing you have mastered so far is intimidation.'_

'_But…the one deciding if that's your limit, is you.'_

…Yeah, he was definitely trying to prove a point.

Aside from that, things were still uneasy between Kagami and him and he had no idea how to go about understanding it—much less fixing it.

He wasn't as worried as he had been back at Teikō, though, as, one by one, all of his friends left him behind. Kagami wasn't like that, and Kuroko could garner some relief from that knowledge at least. Something was off between them, but Kagami had things to work through and Kuroko believed he should let his friend battle his demons in peace.

But Kuroko was battling his own demons and not having Kagami and the support he always provided was killing him. It was incredibly selfish of him to rely on Kagami in such a way, but he couldn't help it. Abandonment was all too ingrained in him to let these feelings wither and die. The shame was overpowered by need.

His train of thought only left him more depressed and his stomach lurched in response to his negative feelings. He swallowed hard and tried to push it down, but it wouldn't be long now and he was becoming increasingly uneasy.

Blessedly, the bell rang not seconds later and Kuroko sighed in relief. He gathered his things as quickly as he could and all but shot out door before any of his classmates even began to pack their things. He felt a bit guilty for not saying something to Kagami (_again_), but he was afraid if he opened his mouth he would vomit. Or scream. Either way, he just needed to get home.

If he got home, he could try to calm down some and avoid the whole process to begin with. Being hit with triggers so much lately meant his experience would most likely be very painful, and he hated going through it like that. If he could calm himself down and suppress the nauseating urges, he could do it on his own and it would involve significantly less torture. He'd been successful in accomplishing this routine for the past couple of weeks, but it was worse now. He just need to get home.

Thankfully no one stopped him as he made his way through the crowded school. It was during situations like this that he was grateful for his overwhelming lack of presence. He managed to make it outside without incident and walked at a brisk pace in the direction of his home, dreading the twenty minute walk. He just hoped he could hold off until he got there…

~KnB~

When Kagami walked into the gym and didn't see Kuroko, he was confused. At the end of class he'd turned around in his seat to put his things away and found the seat behind him empty. It was a little strange, but Kagami assumed he went ahead to practice and tried not to let it affect him much.

'_I mean, we haven't spoken properly in weeks. It's no wonder he didn't wait on me,' _he thought, a bit bitterly.

When he didn't see the boy in the hallway on his way to the gym, he assumed he would be in the locker room changing. When he wasn't in the locker room changing, Kagami assumed he would be in the gym, ready for practice. But he wasn't in the gym, and everyone had already shown up. He was the only one missing, which was extremely confusing. Kuroko was never one to miss practice, and he hadn't ever since he joined the basketball club. And Kagami had gotten pretty good at spotting the little freak, despite his near invisibility, so he knew he wasn't overlooking him. Things may be weird between them right now, they may not be speaking, (and he may be intentionally distancing himself from Kuroko), but he still tried to keep an eye out for the phantom player. That'll unfortunately never change.

He kept his eyes on the door, waiting for a familiar blue head to pop in, apologizing for being late, but it didn't happen and when Riko blew the whistle and signaled for practice to begin, he almost voiced his concern, but Kiyoshi beat him to it.

"Kuroko isn't here yet, Aida-chan."

Riko looked at him, irritated. "Don't call me Aida-chan, idiot! In this gym, my name is Coach! And I know he's not. He won't be. He texted me early to tell me he felt ill and that he wouldn't be attending practice today."

"Kuroko's sick?" Koganei spoke up, concerned. Behind him, Fukuda, Furihata, and Kawahara all looked worried for their fellow freshman.

"He certainly looked it." Izuki said. Kagami and the others looked at him.

"Really? When did you see him?" Tsuchida asked.

"I passed him in the hallway on the way here." Besides Kagami, Izuki was one of the only ones who could see Kuroko most of the time—thanks to his eagle eye. "He was heading towards the entrance and he looked really pale—I mean, more than usual. He looked really sick."

Everyone looked concerned, even Riko. Kuroko was never one to get sick often. In fact, the passing-specialist never missed practice, even if he had the sniffles. He must be really sick to skip practice and go home.

Kagami felt a little guilty. He should have noticed something was wrong. He was with Kuroko all day, after all. But their current standing with one another was uncomfortable, and Kuroko hadn't spoken up and told him he wasn't feeling well...

…Which he wouldn't have done anyway. Kuroko never complained. And they weren't talking.

He should have paid closer attention. There was no excuse.

"Maybe he caught a bug or something?" Hyūga mused.

"I hope it's nothing serious." Kiyoshi said. The others nodded.

"He'll be fine, you idiots!" Riko scowled at them. "He just needs rest. He'll be good as new by tomorrow, I guarantee it. But for now, the rest of you have practice. So get your lazy butts in gear and show me some results!" She blew her whistle loudly and watched, satisfied, as they all scrambled to do as she said. "Not you, Kagami. I need to talk to you."

The redhead looked confused but allowed himself to be pulled aside. Riko looked stern, but not murderous, so it couldn't be that bad.

She sighed and looked up at him. "I don't know what is going on between you and Kuroko lately, but I think you should go check on him after practice." She said firmly. "You and I both know that the plague couldn't stop Kuroko from missing, so it must be bad. And he is more likely to talk to you, so you're the best person to go."

"Uh, sure thing, Coach." Honestly, he had already been thinking about going to check on Kuroko. He was worried too…

Riko wacked him the head with her clipboard. "Don't make it sound like I'm ordering you to go, Bakagami! You should want to go visit your sick friend!"

"Ouch! I know that!" He rubbed his head. "You didn't have to hit me!" He groused and Riko glared at him.

After that, Kagami went through practice as usual, but his thoughts never strayed far from a certain teal-haired shadow. He would go after practice and check on Kuroko. Make sure the idiot was taking care of himself and see if he needed anything.

It would set his mind at ease and maybe he could spend some time with his friend…

~KnB~

Kagami checked the address on the slip of paper once more before looking up at the house he stood in front of. Yep, he had the right place. He'd gotten Kuroko's address from Riko after practice ended. Surprisingly it had only been twenty minutes, in walking distance, away from the school, so it didn't take long for him to get there. He'd tried calling Kuroko's phone several times on the way over, but it went straight to voicemail each time.

He felt a twinge of guilt as he looked up at the unfamiliar house. He and Kuroko spent so much time together, they should at least know where the other lives. But their interactions were usually only limited to school, practice, games, and Maji Burger…

And lately, none of those things.

This distance thing was really killing him.

Maybe one day he could invite Kuroko over to his apartment to hang out or something (God knows they could both afford to be more sociable).

He went through the iron gate up to the front door and rang the bell. He rang again when no one answered. After ringing a third time, he assumed the bell wasn't working and knocked instead.

"Hey, Kuroko? You home? It's Kagami. Can I come in?" He called.

Still there was no answer. He knocked again. Silence.

Kagami was getting worried. What if Kuroko was so sick he fell and injured himself? Or what if he never made it home and was dying on the side of the road somewhere? Neither thought calmed his nerves.

He tried the door handle and was surprised when it gave way. An unlocked door boded unwell in his opinion.

Deciding to forgo courtesy, he pushed his way into the dark house.

"Kuroko? Are you here? I'm coming in, alright?" He called. He removed his shoes at the door and glanced around. There were no lights on and it was hard for him to see. It looked like no one was home.

"Kuroko?" He called again. He felt along the wall for a light switch. Right when his hand landed on it, a familiar sound had him freezing in panic. He switched on the light as fast as he could, but before he could attempt to run, a black and white blur launched itself at him, and he shrieked—(_like a little girl, unfortunately_)—tripping over his shoes and falling in a heap near the door.

"N-Nigou! You little bastard!" Kagami yelled.

Said little creature of menace was currently attempting to crawl into Kagami's lap, tongue lolling and tail wagging happily. The redhead flinched back as Nigou barked again and tried to lick him.

"Q-q-q-quit it! Get away!" Kagami tried to push the dog away from him with one of his shoes like a lion tamer pushes a lion back with a chair. To anyone else, it was a hilarious sight.

He had managed to push the beast back and get to his feet when Kuroko materialized in the hall.

"Kagami-kun?"

Kagami nearly jumped out of his skin as he noticed Kuroko standing in front of him. He placed a hand on his chest. All this stress was killing him. "Dammit, Kuroko! Do you do that on purpose or something? It's seriously not funny! It's never been funny!" He complained. He'd honestly forgotten how that felt.

Kuroko just looked at him.

"Kagami-kun?" The smaller boy asked again, softly. He looked confused and out of it.

Kagami frowned. "Uh, yeah. Sorry about barging in and all. No one answered, and the door was unlocked, so I thought…"

"What are you doing here, Kagami-kun?"

Kagami's frown deepened. Kuroko sounded more blunt than usual. Almost curt. He didn't know if he should be offended or not.

But as he looked closer, he saw that the boy was really pale and he was sweating profusely, his teal hair plastered to his forehead. He was swaying on his feet and it looked like a light breeze could knock him over at any moment. His blank eyes were extremely unfocused and were looking at Kagami with slight alarm—which was more emotion than he's seen in a while from Kuroko. He also hadn't changed out of his school uniform and it was slightly wrinkled.

"Man, you look like shit." Kagami blurted. He blanched. "Uh, sorry! I mean, you just look really sick. Coach said you were sick and Izuki-senpai saw you in the hall after school and said you looked pretty bad. I just wanted to come check on you. Make sure you were doing alright."

Kuroko frowned. "That wasn't necessary. I'm fine."

Kagami looked him up and down again and glared when he swayed even more on his feet. "Yeah, you look fine." He said sarcastically.

Kuroko shook his head. "No really, I am. I just need some rest. You shouldn't have come all this way."

"It wasn't that far, honestly—"

"I know, but you shouldn't be here." Kuroko interrupted him sharply. Kagami eyes widened in confusion. (_What…what does he mean?_)

Kuroko cringed. "I…I'm sorry. I just don't want you to get sick, too. I would feel better if you'd leave." He amended quickly.

Kagami inwardly sighed in relief. Of course…Kuroko always thought of others before himself. There was no need for him to worry about their friendship like he just did.

He scoffed. "Please. I don't get sick that easily. I'm as fit as an ox! A little cold can't defeat me!" He pounded his chest and grinned.

The grin dropped, though, as Kuroko's blank eyes narrowed and the redhead noted he looked more frantic than before.

"P-please, Kagami-kun? The team can't afford for both of us to be sick. I-I'll be better by tomorrow."

"Yeah, but—" Kuroko interrupted him again.

"I appreciate you coming by, though. Thank you." He bowed to him politely before walking forward. "Here, let me show you…" Before he could get past Kagami his legs suddenly gave out and he would have hit the floor if the redhead hadn't caught him.

"Idiot! Obviously you're not fine!" Kagami reprimanded as he cradled the smaller boy. Kuroko groaned in response.

The redhead sighed in annoyance. "Alright, come on. Let's get you off the floor and into bed. You need rest." He shifted the boy into his arms and grunted as he stood, cradling Kuroko bridal-style. He was surprised by how light the shadow was.

Kagami did his best to ignore the barking creature that was scurrying around his feet and made his way down the hall into the only room with the door open. It was a bedroom and the redhead assumed it was Kuroko's—the basketball posters on the wall and the basketball gear on the floor were a dead giveaway. He walked across the room to the bed and deposited his burden on the sheets. Kuroko groaned again and curled in on himself slightly, panting raggedly. Kagami watched worriedly as he started shivering and reached over to pull a throw over him.

"There. Now, just relax. I'm gonna go make you some tea. I'll be back in a bit, so don't move. Got it?" Kagami ordered. Kuroko only shivered in response. He took that as a 'yes' and left the room, leaving the lights off and closing the door. Once in the hall, Nigou jumped around his feet excitedly and he tried to shoo the damn mutt away. He soon gave up though, deciding to put up with the thing for now, and set out to find the kitchen instead.

~KnB~

'_This cannot be happening. This cannot be happening. This cannot be happening.'_

The thought kept repeating in Kuroko's head like desperate mantra and it refused to cease.

He didn't really know how it had come to this. The last thing he remembered was getting home and collapsing on his bed. He'd managed to hold things off until he got there and had attempted to calm himself down. He must have zoned out for a few hours because the next thing he knew, he heard shouting outside his bedroom door and went out to find Kagami wrestling with his Nigou.

Any other time it would have been hilarious. But under the circumstances it was more alarming.

'_Kagami-kun was not supposed to be here. Why was he here!?'_

In truth, it wasn't really the fear of people finding out about his condition that had him so anxious…Ok, maybe it was a little (_a lot_). But if Kuroko had ever decided to actually tell his friends about it, he would have planned to do it as gently as possible. This was not what he considered ideal circumstances to have Kamagi, of all people, find out about it. And he'd never told anyone besides those who are like him, and half the time they didn't even need a verbal confirmation. There was a reason his kind normally kept their existence a secret from the rest of the world. Normal people just couldn't handle it half the time.

He was afraid of being seen as…different(_a monster_.) So he was nervous and upset about what was most likely to happen soon.

And it was Kagami-kun, after all. His extreme case of cynophobia—that bordered on ridiculous—did not give Kuroko much hope that things would go well.

He grit his teeth hard as another wave of spasms rocked his body and he closed his eyes tight, trying to hold it back. Before Kagami had shown up, he had almost managed to calm down enough to shift on his own. But now his anxiety was back full force and there was no way he could do it on his own now. Which meant it would be forced on him and it would be way more painful. And a scary sight to see.

With that last thought, determination filled him and Kuroko managed to push his aching body up and swing his legs off the bed. Getting Kagami to leave before had failed, so his only hope was to lock the door and pray the redhead didn't try to break it down. He stood up on shaking legs and, hoping they wouldn't give out on him again, tried to make his way to the door.

Of course his luck had been terrible so far, so it shouldn't have surprised him when his body gave up on holding back and huge spasm sent him to the floor writhing in pain.

And unfortunately, Kagami chose that moment to open the door.

"I got the tea. What do you want in…Hey, are you alright!?" The redhead asked in alarm when he saw Kuroko sprawled on the floor. He hurriedly put the tray of tea down on the desk and went to his friend. He wanted to reach out and touch him but thought better of it after seeing the pain the smaller boy was in.

"Kuroko! Hey, tell me what's wrong! What's going on?"

Kuroko squinted up at him from the ball he had curled in. "Ka…gami…kun," he said weakly. His vocal cords could barely form the words, already beginning to change. "P…please l-leave."

Kagami scowled. "Like hell I will! Something's really wrong with you, idiot! I'm calling 911." He pulled out his phone, then he remembered. "I mean, 119!"

Kuroko's insides shifted dangerously. He tried to speak. "N…no…Ka…ga—" He cut off and his eyes snapped open.

Too late.

~KnB~

Kagami dropped his phone in shock when Kuroko began to scream. It was a sound he had never heard before come from the boy's mouth. It was slightly muffled by Kuroko smashing his face into the carpet, but it was still nothing short of unsettling. Nigou whined and cowered beside him.

The screams stopped as suddenly as they started and Kuroko began choking and gasping—like he was having trouble breathing.

"K-Kuroko!?" Kagami reached out frantically to help, but then quickly drew his hand back in shock.

What happened next he couldn't comprehend…

He watched, frozen in horrified silence, as the form of his friend began to change in front of him. So many things happened at once—Kuroko's body convulsed and began to contort (_the sound of bones snapping very evident_) and deform into a shape that was clearly not human. His clothing strained terribly under the abuse until it finally began to rip in places to allow for room. His mouth twisted and started growing outward from his face, becoming longer, more narrow. His ears became pointed and grew out as well. His fingers started shrinking inwards into his hand and black claws sprouted where his fingernails once were. His blue hair had turned a ghastly white and…something (_Hair? Fur?_) of the same color was sprouting all over his skin until he was covered. The choking and short screams had long turned into growls and whines.

All the while, Kagami watched, unable to look away.

After what seemed like an eternity, the transformation was completed and the…_thing_…_creature_—(_whatever_)—lay completely still in front of him. The only sound in the room was Kagami's heavy breathing, Nigou's quiet whimpering, and the huffing of the _thing _across from him…

…Which began to move again.

Kagami yelped and scooted as fast as he could towards the door, hoping he could escape before the thing could attack him. He couldn't make out what it was exactly because of the dim lighting, but he could see, when it lifted its head, a pair of _very_ familiar blue eyes staring back at him.

~KnB~

The transformation had finally completed itself and Kuroko sighed in relief, becoming still where he lay and panting from the exertion and pain. It was always horrible to go through the shift like this. He very much preferred to shift on his own, where the smooth melting of one form to another was more natural and painless. This just left him exhausted and sick.

He shifted his body slightly, trying to get rid of the aches and pains and feeling uncomfortable in his now ill-fitting clothes (_which, great—now he's ruined another one of his uniforms—just great_) when he heard a short cry. He lifted his head, startled, and saw Kagami looking back at him with unrestrained fear. His stomach dropped in dismay.

This is not how he wanted anyone to find out about him being a…_werewolf_. He had planned to take that secret to the grave—but unfortunately, that was impossible now. And now, Kagami was staring at him like he was a monster. His heart pricked at the thought.

In a perfect world, he would shift back immediately and smooth things over as fast as he could. But because he's been holding in so many negative emotions lately (_his damn triggers_) and because he was forced into the change, it would be a while before he could be human again. That didn't help in this situation.

He had to do something, though. He had to show Kagami that he wouldn't hurt him, that he was still Kuroko. He was still himself. He was still his friend…

Gently, he began to pick himself up off the floor, shaking the torn clothing from his body once he was standing on all fours. By now, Nigou had come out from behind Kagami and was happily bouncing around him, barking and nipping at his paws, completely over his fear now that Kuroko was just like him. It was always like that with the pup.

He looked up and saw that Kagami was now frantically trying to open the door from his position on the floor. The hand reaching for the door was shaking uncontrollably—and so was the rest of him.

Kuroko felt extremely guilty now. He whined, flattening his ears and lowing his head, hoping to make himself look less frightening, and stepped forward a bit. Maybe if he showed that he didn't mean any harm, Kagami would calm down.

It did not work.

Kagami, at the sound of his whine, shrieked in terror and with a speed that was surprising, bodily pressed himself against the door, watching him with wide eyes.

Kuroko stopped. He whined again, but it elicited the same response.

This was not working. He was at a loss for what to do. What was he supposed to do? How was he supposed to fix this?

Suddenly, the light from a passing car on the street lit up the room, exposing everything in a yellowish glow—including Kuroko.

At this point, Kuroko could only guess (_very accurately_) that seeing a huge, white wolf standing in the middle of the room is what made Kagami finally lose it.

One minute, he was staring at Kuroko in open-mouthed horror, unable to even form a scream—the next, he was lying on the floor, eyes rolled into the back of his head, completely gone to the world.

Kuroko sweat-dropped as he stared at the redhead passed out on his floor and sighed. He sat down on his haunches and whined in dismay at his misfortune. Nigou chose that moment to come over and nuzzle him on his side cutely, but that did little to cheer him up right then.

'_Now what?'_

* * *

Note: Well, that is the end of the first chapter of this story. It feels so good to be writing again after all these years! And 11 pages and 4833 words at that—not too shabby if I do say so myself! Anyways, there wasn't much of wolf-Kuroko in this chapter, but there will be plenty of him in the next chapter, along with some much-needed explanations and angst galore (We all love angst, don't we?) I just needed to set things up in this chapter. Sorry for being vague, but it was necessary. If it was a bit slow, I do apologize. It's just how I wrote it—I had no control whatsoever.

I don't mind if you don't review, but I would like to hear from my readers—it's exciting! And it will motivate me to write another chapter! I will also accept favorites or alerts—as long as I know people like it and its getting read, it doesn't matter to me!


	2. Stray: Pt2

Disclaimer: Don't own Kuroko no Basuke. I certainly ain't from Japan, and I certainly don't write manga. Just fanfiction!

Note: Alright! Here's the second part of Stray! I wrote this in a week, guys. All of your reviews, favorites, and alerts really motivated me to write fast. (And so did the week long snow-adventure we had that got us out of school!) I also discovered Nightcore on YouTube and that music is great for writing like anything.

I want to thank everyone who reviewed, favorited, and alerted my first chapter of this story: Puncakegoddess, Rin1730, Kottori, LadyOtaku99, NayaPower, guestallx27, Attack-on-Levi-the-bae, Celestial-Dragon777, Dragon Courage, Ana B. Rose, frenkym, Blukang Blarak, everyone falls, Bara in Blue, Swtazngrl5, Kuroshiroyuu, Jazzytiger23, Macie Cage, The Only Sane One, Winfox, mariafranciscaj, YuKiHiMe97, Tokoyonokuni, RuRuLaLa, Azuregold, bobbyjoette, and guests—JustHope, Shadow Carnival, and anonymous. Thanks guys! You're amazing with your support!

There will be more wolf-Kuroko in this chapter, like I promised! And Kuroko and Kagami will finally talk things out (concerning basketball and the werewolf thing). The time-line for this chapter goes along with ch. 56 in the manga and s1ep20 of the anime.

I suggest you guys listen to Yoko Kanno's 'Wolf's Rain' OST while read this chapter and any other I write for this story. It's the mood I have for the story. 'Stray' is the overall theme, but the OSTs are still amazing and have been inspiring me like crazy! Music is the first ingredient in my writing process, the ideas and words come from that. I'll soon be posting a track list for this story on my profile when I get enough chapters up.

Also, check out these AMVs on YouTube to get yourselves in the mood for wolves—it sure got me pumped!—"You Can't Take Me" – Wolf's Rain by taqu, Wolf's Rain – Heaven's Not Enough by dyingember, and Wolf's Rain~I Will Not Bow by twilitprincess. They are awesome!

No yaoi/slash.

Now enjoy!

* * *

Stray: Pt 2

After an hour and a half, Kagami still hadn't woken up.

Kuroko had been worried that the redhead had hit his head when he'd fainted, but there was no bump, so he then assumed that Kagami's body just shut down from the stress. First witnessing a werewolf's transformation, then being trapped in a room with one—it was a wonder that Kagami didn't have a full-blown heart attack…

It took forty-five minutes before Kuroko could shift back to his human form, and he had spent those forty-five minutes pacing his room like a caged animal (_which technically, he was—Kagami's huge body was blocking the door_) with Nigou trying to get him to play with him the entire time. It was nerve-wracking.

When he felt the hold of the wolf loosen, he immediately changed back. He had stayed shifted long enough this time that he could go awhile before his body would force him to again—even when being hit with triggers. Another week or two at most.

Once human again, he had dressed and then attempted to maneuver Kagami off the floor and onto the bed. This proved to be very difficult for Kuroko—he had very little upper body strength and Kagami was a giant. He was only able to drag him to the middle of the room, which he decided was good enough (his body ached and he was still feeling ill). He put a pillow under Kagami's head and left him be.

Minutes later he was sitting in the kitchen, sipping some fresh tea he had made to replace the long-cold tea Kagami had made earlier. It helped to calm him a bit and he sighed at the soothing taste. Out of the corner of his eye he kept a watch on his bedroom door, waiting for Kagami to come out. Nigou was munching at his food bowl, having worked up an appetite with his one-sided playtime with his master earlier.

Kuroko took the time to get his thoughts together, to think of a way to explain things to Kagami without freaking him out again. He had never told any of his friends his secret before—even the 'Generation of Miracles'. He could never find the right time to bring it up…or maybe on some deeper level, he knew they weren't the right ones to tell. He'd thought about telling Aomine at one point, but then things went the way they did and… he found he couldn't. He had desperately wanted to tell Ogiwara-kun, or even his grandmother (before she died), but he was too much of a coward to do so. It was an easy secret to keep, but a hard one to share, and Kuroko kept it to himself like the second skin it was.

The time for secrets was over now, though. Kagami had seen everything. There was no hiding from it now. He just had to suck it up and get it over with.

…How come he couldn't shake the fear those thoughts brought?

~KnB~

Kagami woke with a start. The image of a huge, snarling, white beast snapping at him with its bloody jaws fading from his mind. He wiped the sweat from his face and sat up, trying to get his breathing under control.

"Thank God…just…a nightmare…" He panted in relief. Then he groaned and rubbed his head, feeling the headache that was throbbing behind his eyes. His back was aching, and when he felt carpet under his palm, he understood why.

"What the hell am I doing on the floor?" He muttered. Confused, he looked around the dark room, memories slowly coming back to him. He was at Kuroko's house, in Kuroko's room. He remembered that he had come to check on his friend after practice, concerned after hearing he was ill.

He also remembered that Kuroko had looked terrible—like he was on his death bed.

Besides that he didn't remember a damn thing.

Was Kuroko alright? Where was he?

He looked around the room, trying to find his sick friend. When he didn't see Kuroko he began to panic. That is, until he saw the light coming from under the cracked door. As quick as he could he stood up and made his way out of the room.

The light was coming from the kitchen, and when he stumbled in he was shocked to see the object of his worry sitting at the kitchen table—without a care in the world—sipping tea. Kagami's eye twitched.

"Kuroko!?"

The bluenette, who had been deep in thought, jumped at Kagami's voice, surprising both of them. It wasn't every day you could get the jump on Kuroko. It was usually the other way around.

"Kagami-kun. You're awake."

"Yeah, shouldn't it be the other way around?" Kagami asked incredulously. "Why the hell was I asleep on your floor? And what are you doing up? You should be resting!" He walked closer, ready to haul the teen back to his room, but stopped when he noticed something. "Wait, you look fine now!"

He looked paler than normal, but Kuroko did seem to be better than when Kagami first got there.

"…Yes, I do feel better." Kuroko said.

Kagami sweat-dropped and rubbed his forehead tiredly. "Geez. You sure recover quickly, don't you? One minute you look like hell, the next you're perfectly fine. What's with that?"

Kuroko didn't say anything. Kagami decided to join him at the table, his head still hurting. He rubbed the side of his head pitifully.

"So why was I knocked out on your floor again?" Kagami asked him.

Kuroko didn't say anything for a moment. His head was bowed and his was hair shielding his eyes so Kagami couldn't see his expression.

"You…don't remember?" Kuroko eventually asked, his voice quiet.

"Not really. It's a little hazy." Kagami screwed his eyes shut, thinking. "I remember…I came here. Got attacked by that devil-mutt….um…fixed you some tea…" Kagami blinked. "You…were in pain, I think?...Then there was that nightmare."

Kuroko looked at him in confusion. "Nightmare?"

"Yeah, it was…" Kagami stopped when he met Kuroko's eyes. Sudden irrational fear shot through him.

Those eyes…why was he seeing those same blue eyes staring at him…from a beast's body…?

_Flashes of white fur…black claws…sharp teeth…coming at him in the dark…_

Kagami shivered and shook his head to get rid of the images. "Eh, it was nothing. Just some crazy dream about a monster or whatever." He didn't see Kuroko flinch beside him.

'_Nightmare…He thinks it was a nightmare…_' Kuroko didn't know if he should feel relieved or not. He didn't know what to feel.

"Did I fall asleep or something…?" Kagami asked.

Kuroko grew quiet again. Kagami was ignorant of the inner turmoil going on inside the smaller boy.

How was he supposed to handle this? What was the right choice in this situation? He thought he knew what he was going to have to do, but…if Kagami didn't remember…

"Yes." Kuroko found himself saying. He couldn't stop the words from coming out. "Kagami-kun was very tired after practice and ended up falling asleep while we were talking." '_What? Why am I saying this?'_

"Eh, really?" Kagami rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "Sorry about that. Guess I was more tired than I thought." He gave Kuroko another once-over. "But are you sure you're feeling better? You looked pretty bad earlier."

Kuroko nodded, not looking at Kagami. "It must have been a 24-hour bug. I feel completely fine now. With some rest I should be back to normal tomorrow." It felt like he was speaking on auto-piolet.

"That's good." Kagami said.

With nothing else to say they both fell silent. Which quickly grew awkward—for Kagami because he remembered what's being happening between them lately—for Kuroko because of the guilt and misery that was eating him from the inside out.

"So, ah…" Kagami broke the silence. "Since you're feeling better, I guess I'll head out. It's pretty late." He stood to leave, eager to get out of the house where the tension was very palpable. It was hard to deal with at the moment.

He really hoped that Kuroko caught on soon so they could resolve things between them. He missed hanging out with his friend without so much awkwardness.

If only he knew that basketball was the last thing on Kuroko's mind at the moment.

Kuroko stood with him, intending to show him out. He followed the taller boy to the door, watching with dull eyes as Kagami cursed at Nigou as he tried to put on his shoes.

When Kagami opened the door, giving a 'goodbye' as he prepared to leave, Kuroko panicked.

"Wait!"

Kagami stopped, a little startled. He looked back at his Shadow expectantly. Kuroko's eyes were hooded again and his expression showed some of his inner conflict. The red-head waited patiently.

But as suddenly as the expression came, it was gone. The moment passed as Kuroko's face evened out into its usual blankness.

"Ah, never mind. Thank you for coming, Kagami-kun. Goodnight." Kuroko said with a small bow, inwardly cringing at how emotionless he sounded.

He didn't notice the disappointment that flashed across Kagami's face.

The red-head nodded back, lips pursed. "Yeah. Goodnight."

Then he left.

Kuroko watched him go sadly. Of all the people he'd wanted to tell his secret to, Kagami had been one of them. Now he was added to the list of people Kuroko will always regret not telling. His fists clenched at his side, anger welling inside him.

He was scared of course. It was completely reasonable to be. Who wanted to be seen as a monster by those closest to them? That was why he never told his parents, or his grandmother, or even his friends.

So when Kagami unintentionally gave him an out, he took it. Cowardly as it may be, he just wasn't ready yet.

Some of his kind say that it's better to tell friends and family about their condition. That way they could have support while they go through their hardships of being wolves. Others will say it's better to protect yourself from the heartache. Humans are just…too unpredictable when it comes to facing real-life monsters.

So Kuroko watched him go, regret filling his heart as the secret he's kept close to himself for so long remained intact. Untarnished.

~KnB~

A lot happened in the week that followed.

Kuroko tried to put what happened at his house (and his guilt over lying to Kagami) behind him—instead focusing on basketball. Although, he was upset to find that nothing had changed between him and Kagami in that area.

Kagami was still playing by himself. Just like he did in the beginning. It was starting to bother Kuroko greatly.

What if Kagami left him behind like the others did?

He didn't think he could handle it a second time.

On another note, Riko had signed their team up for three days of practice matches against other schools so that each of them could be evaluated. After that, Riko would put them each on a specific training regimen during the summer that would help them improve.

The third day had been interesting. Riko had, out of the blue (and through suggestion of Kiyoshi), decided to have the freshmen play the match against Toshukin. The second years were confused, but they tried to guess what she and Kiyoshi were trying to do. With the way Kagami had been playing lately, some of them thought he was being a bit egotistic. They believed that by having the freshmen (who were at a disadvantage against Toshukin's regulars—even with Kagami and Kuroko) play the match, it could teach them that you couldn't win a game alone.

Kuroko thought this as well. He knew that they would have a hard time in the match if they couldn't work together properly. But Kagami's words before the match stuck with him:

"_Kuroko. You don't need to pass to me anymore."_

Those words had hurt, and reminded him way too much of Aomine's.

Although, unknown to the phantom-player, Kiyoshi had a different plan for the set-up. He had admitted to the others during the match that his actual purpose wasn't really about Kagami, but more about Kuroko. He was trying to help Kuroko change his focus and overcome his self-imposed limits. Though, he was worried that the boy wouldn't realize it on his own. And the match's conclusion only proved that.

The freshmen had won the match, but only because of Kagami's strength. Kuroko had passed to everyone as usual, but Kagami's power-play had given them the win of 43 – 41.

The second-years felt disheartened. Kuroko even more so than them.

~KnB~

After the match, Kuroko had felt that he was at his limit as a player. He felt that there was nothing else that he could contribute besides his passing. And that's not what he team needed—especially since the Generation of Miracles were going to be their opponents in the next coming months.

And didn't he show just how useful he was against the Miracles during their match against Tōō?

No. Seirin deserved better. He had nothing more to give.

…Or at least that's what he thought before he went to see the captain.

Initially he had gone to request that Kiyoshi-senpai replace him as a starter on the team. His play was at its limit and he didn't want to drag Seirin down because of it.

The way he saw it, he supported the others with his style, but he also put too much on them, leaving most of the game to them ("supporting others" vs. "leave it to the others"). That was far from fair.

Hyūga-senpai, though, would have none of it and promptly smacked Kuroko on the back of the head.

"_Don't get cocky, idiot! Removing you from the starters? Have you ever thought about those sitting on the bench? So don't give me that shit. If you're serious, go to the coach."_

He made it clear that he saw it as Kuroko giving up, and to him that wouldn't be fair to the others.

In the case of limits, he told Kuroko the story of Kiyoshi's struggles and how he created his style to get over his own limits. He said that Kuroko reminded him a lot of the large Center.

"_You and Kiyoshi are different…But is that really the only thing you can do?"_

Kiyoshi found a way past his limits, and Hyūga believed Kuroko could do the same.

When Kuroko looked uncertain, Hyūga told him to at least talk to Kagami if he still didn't want to be a starter anymore. As partners, they should talk things over. Plus, the captain admitted that Kagami had come to him, too, and opened up about what's been going on.

"_He says you've saved him a lot until now. He's decided to take some distance for now. He knows you won't let him just like that. He's determined to get stronger. He knows you can, too. He believes in you…But he's really clumsy—especially with his words!"_

That had shocked Kuroko. Of course—why hadn't he seen it before? He had been so stupid (although, Kagami's way of getting the message across sucked). Kagami wasn't trying to leave him behind—he was just waiting for Kuroko to catch up!

Now he knew what he needed to do.

When Hyūga saw that Kuroko finally got it, he sent the younger boy away, telling him where to find Kagami. The two definitely needed to talk. Kuroko thanked his captain and rushed out of there as fast as he could, leaving Hyūga mumbling angrily about dumbass kōhai in his wake.

When he found his Light shooting hoops on the streetball court, they hashed things out between one another.

He told Kagami the reason why he chose him to be his Light. He told him how, as the sixth man in Teikō, he began to lose the trust of his friends and their passes eventually stopped coming. They evolved past him, and believed that his way of basketball was obsolete. In truth, it didn't have to be him, but he chose Kagami—all for the purpose of making them acknowledge his way of playing.

Before Kagami could get too bitter about that, though, Kuroko also explained that, because Kagami believed in him, and because Seirin had been such a great place to him—with great people who accepted and believed in him—he had also evolved. He was no longer the Kuroko Tetsuya of Teikō Middle School, but the Kuroko Tetsuya of Seirin High School. He understood why Kagami was distancing himself—so that they could get stronger individually and match two even greater forces so as to ascertain their victory.

And with Kagami—and everyone else—he want to become Japan's number one, not just make someone Japan's number one. So he promised his Light that he would push past his limits and give Seirin everything he had. He would get stronger, and together they would defeat the Generation of Miracles. Kagami's response fueled his motivation.

"_I had that goal from the beginning. Besides, you got it wrong again! It's not 'want'. We '_will'_ become number one!"_

"_I'll get stronger, too. I'm gonna leave you behind if you slack off, though. Got it?" _

"_Let's get stronger quickly and show them in winter—the re-born Kuroko's basketball!"_

The fist-bump they shared sealed their promise.

That conversation had given Kuroko hope—real hope that he had not felt in a long time. It inspired him to want to do his best to get stronger and be the player that Seirin and Kagami needed. But not just a player, the best teammate as well.

It also helped to give him the courage to go through with something he has been putting off for far too long. Something that needed to be done if their goals were going to be met and if the promise they made one another could be achieved.

Which was why a few days after they talked he was ringing the doorbell to Kagami's apartment, prepared to finally let go of the secret he's been keeping for far too long.

~KnB~

Kagami was surprised when he opened his door to see his Shadow standing in front of him.

"Kuroko?"

"Hello, Kagami-kun." Kuroko said, stoic as ever. "I'm sorry, I know it's late, but may I came in? There's something I need to discuss with you."

Kagami's eye-brows raised. "Uh, yeah, sure. Come on in." He stepped aside and let Kuroko in.

"I'm sorry for the intrusion, Kagami-kun." Kuroko said as he took off his shoes.

"Ah, it's no problem. I wasn't doing anything anyways. Do you want some tea, or…"

"No, thank you."

Kagami offered him a seat and they both sat on the large couch. Out of the corner of his eye, Kagami noticed that Kuroko was sitting rod straight and chewing on his lower lip.

"Is everything alright? You look tense." Actually, since their conversation a few days ago, the smaller boy (besides showing renewed vigor) had looked lost in thought and nothing short of listless. Kagami was getting a little worried about his Shadow.

"Yes, I'm just…" Kuroko struggled a bit with what to say. "I need to tell you something."

He sounded so serious that Kagami's concern grew and he turned to fully face his friend.

"Sure, go ahead."

Kuroko nodded, taking a few minutes to get his thoughts together. "After our conversation, I've been thinking about some things. And I realized that, even though I told you everything concerning my intentions with basketball, I've been keeping something else from you. And it's because of my own selfishness and my fear of being seen as different that has been keeping me from telling anyone."

He turned to Kagami, looking guilty. "Kagami-kun, you are my friend, and I feel that in order for us to become stronger like we promised, I need to tell you everything."

"…Um…ok. You know, you can tell me, whatever it is." Kagami assured, although on the inside he was nervous to hear what it was.

"I know, but it's complicated." '_Especially since its Kagami-kun—cynophobe extraordinaire'_ "Please allow me time to explain properly."

"Sure." Kagami said.

Kuroko took a breath before beginning. "Kagami-kun, last week…when you came to see me when I was sick…I lied to you. I'm sorry."

"…You seem to be doing that a lot lately." Kagami mumbled, referring to their conversation on the streetball court.

"Kagami-kun, please. Anyways, something happened while you were there, even though I reassured you that nothing did. You accepted that answer right away, but I could not help but think this whole time that it was cowardly of me to lie to you like that. Especially when we made that promise with one another."

He paused.

"…You must understand that this is hard for me. I have never told anyone about this. Including my own family. But I'm learning how to trust, and I trust you, Kagami-kun. I have faith that you won't hate me for it." He was able to give a small smile, even while looking as nervous as he did.

Kagami frowned—what could it possibly be for Kuroko to not confide in anyone about it?

Kuroko looked down at his lap, clenching his fists nervously. '_This is it._' He thought.

"It wasn't a dream." He blurted out, confusing Kagami. "What you saw at my house, it wasn't a dream. The truth is…I suffer from what's medically termed as _Lycanthropy_."

He looked up at Kagami seriously. "In simpler terms…I am a werewolf."

Kagami looked stunned at the confession, not saying anything for several seconds. Then he began to laugh hesitantly, unsure of Kuroko's newfound—and weird—humor.

"Haha, that's really funny, Kuroko! I mean, that's just plain ridiculous! Vampires, zombies, _werewolves_—that stuff doesn't exist!" He tried to sound sure of himself, but Kuroko's words brought up memories he didn't know he had. Images were already flashing in his head—said nightmare that he had almost forgotten from a week ago replaying in his mind.

_A huge, snarling beast snapping at him with its bloody jaws…its ethereal fur glowing in the dim light…_

_His best-friend's screams…body contorting unnaturally…blue eyes looking out at him from a beast's body…_

He shook his head, unnerved. '_What the hell?_'

He heard Kuroko sigh beside him. "I knew you wouldn't believe right away. That's why I was prepared to show you."

When bluenette stood and began removing his clothes, Kagami freaked.

"W-W-What are you doing, idiot!?" The red-head yelled, quickly scooting away from Kuroko. He was blushing and looked completely scandalized.

"I don't want to ruin another set of clothes. It's easier this way." Kuroko explained simply. His shirt was already on the floor and he was moving to remove his shoes and pants.

Kagami turned away, eyes closed and holding his hands out in front of him to stave off any advances. "Look, ok, I think I get it. This is either some elaborate joke, or you're into some kinky shit! Just, whatever it is, don't involve me in it! It's not funny!"

There was silence after his exclamation. Then something cold and wet unexpectedly touched his outstretched hand. Kagami jumped and turned around to see a huge white wolf standing in front of him, pressing its wet nose into his palm.

His mind took a moment to process what he was seeing.

When his mind caught up, Kagami let out a shriek and made a perfect vault (one that could be the envy of any gymnast) over the couch in an attempt to escape.

"What the hell!?" Kagami screamed as he presses himself against the back of the couch, trying to hide from the beast that suddenly appeared in his apartment. What the hell was going on?! Where did that _thing_ come from!? And where was Kuroko!?

He heard a huff and looked up to see the wolf's head look down at him from over the couch. Another shriek and he moved as quick as lightning to press himself into the corner of the room—a stupid move really, considering he was now trapped. He watched with horror as the wolf jumped off the couch and slowly advanced towards him. All the while Kagami was shaking in absolute terror.

"Stay away! Stay away! Stay away! Stay away!" Kagami screamed over and over, utterly petrified. He tried to shield himself with his arms just as the wolf stopped its advance on him a few feet away. Kagami closed his eyes, shivering and whimpering, waiting for his untimely end.

Something hard suddenly bopped against his leg. Hesitantly, Kagami looked between his arms at what the thing was and was surprised to see one of his basketballs sitting against his leg. He looked up and flinched hard when he saw that the wolf sitting directly in front of him, staring at him with…very familiar blue eyes.

They stared at each other for a few minutes, neither breaking eye contact. Kagami recoiled, though, when the wolf began to slowly lift its leg, its paw landing on the basketball sitting between them. Kagami froze, finding the action confusing, and when he glanced at the wolf again he noticed something that he didn't before in the haze of terror—the wolf had very expressive eyes, looking at him with what he could only describe as earnest and fear. Its ears were laid flat and its head was lowered. There were no teeth in sight. No malice whatsoever. It whined—a high-pitch noise that sounded pathetic and sad coming from such a beast. It was like it was trying to get him to do something. To remember something. It took a little bit, but things began to click in his head.

Kuroko's admission only minutes before…Lycanthropy…Werewolf…Him taking off his clothes for some reason…Blue eyes…

Memories of that night were slowly coming back to Kagami. His eyes widened and everything clicked at once.

He looked at the wolf again, completely stunned.

"…K-Kuroko?" He really felt like he was going insane.

The wolf nodded—actually nodded!—looking at him with what he knows are Kuroko's eyes, which were filled with relief. It was…so unreal. Kuroko thumped his paw on the basketball one more time before stepping back away from Kagami, giving him room to breathe and digest.

Kagami looked way more shocked than scared now. He studied the wolf in front of him intensely, noting its calm demeanor and it's…very human eyes looking back at him. They were the most distinguishable feature.

"Kuroko…That really is you, isn't it?" Kagami asked in disbelief.

Kuroko nodded again, stepping aside to show Kagami the pile of clothes laying on the floor—completely Kuroko-less. Kagami took it all in.

"…Huh." That was all he could think to say. Kuroko wasn't kidding after all. His best friend was actually…a werewolf…

Wow, just thinking the words sounded ridiculous. But the proof was standing in front of him, looking at him intensely with nervous eyes.

Kagami stood slowly and shakily made his way back to the couch, not really avoiding Kuroko on his way as he was too engrossed in his own thoughts. Processing the information was going to take him a minute. He plopped down on the couch, head in hands. Kuroko remained in the middle of the room, giving his friend some time.

After a few minutes, Kagami finally spoke.

"So you weren't lying? You're a…werewolf." Kagami said. Gah, it was so hard to say.

"Yes, that's correct."

Kagami looked up in shock at the sound of a voice. Kuroko was standing in front of him again, only in his human form—fully dressed—looking as calm as can be.

"H-How did you…so fast!?" Kagami asked incredulously.

"I've had lots of practice. I am uncomfortable with being nude in front of other people." Kuroko said—like it was the most normal thing in the world.

Still looking incredulous, Kagami could only shake his head at the craziness.

Kuroko sat beside him on the couch, inwardly glad when the taller boy doesn't move away from him. Although, Kagami looked to be too deep in thought to be scared at that moment.

"So…what do you think?" Kuroko asked hesitantly.

"…Um…It's…uh…." Kagami laughed in exasperation. "Well, it's surprising. Guess you weren't kidding after all."

Kuroko looked guilty again. "I'm sorry for putting this on you all of a sudden, Kagami-kun. But I felt it was important for you to know this about me. Since we are partners, and friends, there should be no secrets between us."

Kagamisighed_._ "Yeah, I get that. It's just…so hard to believe. I mean—you're a werewolf!" He said it a little accusingly.

"Technically, I'm a Lycan." Kuroko said.

Kagami was confused. "…A what?"

"A Lycan." He repeated—then clarified. "Lycans can control their transformation into a wolf, as well as their consciousness while in wolf form. Like this." Kuroko raised his right hand and demonstrated by shifting it into a paw, the transformation flawless. Kagami looked at it warily as he shifted it back to a regular hand again.

Kuroko continued. "A werewolf, though, has no control and relies on a full moon for transformation. They also have no memory of being human while in that form. The distinction in very different, but we always end up being called werewolves. It's kind of racist."

Kagami nodded, looking at Kuroko's previously-shifted hand. "I see. That sounds a little less frightening." He said sarcastically. Then he looked at Kuroko, confused. "But, if what you said is true, and if what happened at your house last week is also true, then…?"

Kuroko looked ashamed—and a little embarrassed. "Ah, yes…that…It is not impossible for us to lose control. I did that night. I'm sorry that you had to see that."

"But…why did you?"

Kuroko fidgeted. "…It's a long story, and involves me going to the beginning."

His voice sounded tense and Kagami backtracked, thinking he didn't want to talk about it. "Oh, um… if you don't want to…"

Kuroko interjected. "No, that's why I came tonight, to explain things to you. That means telling my story, too." He turned to Kagami. "If you have questions, don't hesitate to ask. But please let me get everything out, first."

Kagami nodded and Kuroko began his story.

"I became a Lycan when I was nine years old. I was playing in one of the street courts in our neighborhood, and it was late. Ogiwara-kun, my friend who I was playing with, had already gone home, and I was going to, too. I remember hearing a growl from one of the bushes and feeling a sudden pain in my arm. I don't remember what happened after that. I woke up a few hours later in my bed. My grandmother was having a fit, she was so worried about me. She said our neighbor had found me passed out in the court on his way home. She fretted over me for days after that and wouldn't let me go outside to play. The crazy thing, though, was that I could remember feeling pain in my arm before blacking out, but there wasn't a mark on me. I asked my grandmother about it, but she said I didn't have any other injuries besides the bump on my head. And the next day I was completely fine.

"But a few days later, when my grandmother left the house for a while, it happened. I'm glad that she wasn't there to see it. The first time is always very painful and scary. It started as nausea, until it got to where I thought my stomach was on fire. Then the rest of my body followed after. I can't tell you how painful the first shift is. I'm glad that I don't remember much of how it felt." He shivered faintly, though, and Kagami winced in sympathy.

"When I first woke up as a wolf I was scared out of my mind. I had no idea what was happening. I was confused and disoriented. It was horrifying. I eventually shifted back and when my grandmother found me I was crying hysterically. I tried to tell her what happened, but she didn't believe me and thought I had a bad dream. I thought about showing her that time, but I had no idea how it worked. I decided to keep it from her, though, even when I knew how to shift. I didn't want her to be scared of me, and I definitely didn't want to shock her into a heart-attack. Her health was already fragile."

"So, you didn't tell your grandmother. But did you tell your parents? Your friends?" Kagami asked.

Kuroko shook his head, clutching his arms. "Like I told you before, I haven't told anyone besides you."

"Really? That…sounds lonely." And it did. Having to live with something like this and dealing with it alone—without the help of family or friends—sounded terrible.

Kuroko nodded. "Yes. It is. It's very hard to explain to humans about us. Some people cannot accept what we are. A lot of us just want to live normal lives, but how can we when our loved ones see us as some kind of monster?"

Kagami frowned. He had a point. That would be awful.

They fell silent again. Kagami was processing everything and Kuroko was giving him the time he needed.

In truth, Kagami was more than a little shocked at the revelation. Because werewolves didn't exist! Or at least they didn't until now. And Kuroko was one. He could actually turn into a wolf. A big white one.

Kagami thought he should have been a little more…well, scared—or at least uncomfortable with the fact that his friend could turn into another species. What Kuroko was and what he could do was, by any terms, unnatural. But looking at the smaller boy, and seeing how nervous and fearful he had been, and still was, about telling Kagami all of this—he couldn't help feeling sympathetic towards Kuroko. Supportive, even. This was huge, and Kuroko obviously built up a lot of courage in order to do it.

And he chose to tell Kagami. Just like he chose him to be his Light. Out of everyone (including those damned Generation of Miracles), Kuroko chose him.

'_This is possibly the craziest thing that has ever happened in my life._' But Kagami didn't find that he minded. In fact, he was finding himself more and more curious as Kuroko opened up about everything.

"So, I'm the only one who knows about you?" He clarified.

Kuroko nodded. "Yes. You're the only human who knows."

Yep. Kagami felt very pleased about that.

"Others of my kind know about me, but they don't count because we can tell just by scent if someone is a wolf." The bluenette added.

"Others of your kind…" Kagami said thoughtfully. "So there are a lot of Lycans, then?"

"In Japan there are nearly 10,000. About two-fifths of them live in Tokyo alone."

"…Wow." Kagami was impressed by those numbers. "That's surprisingly a lot. How come more people don't know about them, then?"

"We keep to ourselves mostly. You could say we are like a secret society. It's an unspoken rule not to let our existence become public knowledge." Kuroko explained.

"Do you know many of them?"

"We typically try to avoid one another, but I do know a few of them personally. We are in a support group together and usually only interact when we have meetings or group outings."

Kagami blinked. Then, "There's a support group for werewolves!?"

"Yes, there is. Several hundred in fact across Japan. Ours is called "Lycans Anonymous"—or LA for short." There was no humor in that statement.

"…You are completely serious."

"Yes."

Kagami 'pff'd'. "That's a stupid name for a support group. And why would werewolves—I mean, Lycans—need support groups?"

"The only way you can become a Lycan is for you to be turned by a Lycan—usually through a bite, but the transfer of blood and other bodily fluids work the same way. So many Lycans have memories of being human before becoming a wolf, and that is understandably hard to come to terms with. For nearly half my life I was a human, and being turned as a child can be very traumatic. The support groups help with all of that. We come together and figure out how to live our new lives. We help each other come to terms with it. If you really look at it, Lycanthropy is like any other disease."

'_Except for the whole turning into another species part.' _Kagami thought. Then he remembered, "Wait, the other day we shared a water bottle! Does that mean I…!?"

Kuroko interrupted him before he could get too wound up. "No, Kagami-kun. I can only turn someone into a Lycan when I'm in my wolf form. It doesn't work in my human form."

"O-Oh. Ok. S…Sorry. I shouldn't have reacted like that." He said sheepishly, feeling embarrassed over his reaction.

"It's fine. I would be worried if you weren't concerned. The last thing I want is to turn any of you into what I am."

Kagami's eyebrows furrowed. "Do you…hate it? Being a Lycan, I mean."

Kuroko looked pensive. "I don't completely dislike it. It's been seven years, so I'm pretty much used to being a wolf. There are some things I like—even enjoy—about it. Other things…are difficult to handle. Two things, really."

"What are they?"

Kuroko hesitated, but decided to tell him anyways. "When you're turned, many things change about your body. Your senses heighten and your ability to heal is increased. As well as other things. But the biggest change is what the wolf takes away from you. The wolf is another part of me. It's like there are two beings living in the same body. I may have control over both, but it doesn't erase the fact that having two beings in one body is a huge strain. In order to make room for the wolf, something needs to…be erased. Otherwise the body can't handle the transformation and it dies."

"What do you mean something gets erased?" Kagami asked worriedly.

"It could be sight, or hearing, or even the ability to talk." He pointed to himself. "For me, it was my presence. I wasn't always this hard to notice. As a child I had quite a huge presence, I was very noticeable. When I was turned, it was like I became invisible to everyone around me. It was only after I joined the support group and learned about the mechanics of Lycanthropy that I realized what my body gave up for the wolf so that I wouldn't die. I am actually luckier than some Lycans. I know someone who lost the ability to taste food, and another who lost the ability to feel emotion. The loss can be small or large depending on the person, their age, and their health." He shrugged. "Luckily I didn't lose much."

"You make it sound like losing your presence isn't a bad thing." Kagami muttered in disbelief. "And are you sure you're not the one who lost the ability to feel emotions? You can be pretty emotionless like, all the time." Even with a blank expression Kuroko still managed to glare at him. Kagami sweat-dropped and waved his hands. "Geez, I'm just kidding! Anyways, what was the second thing?"

"Ah, yes. Besides taking something from you, becoming a Lycan also gives you something. Although it isn't pleasant. We call them 'triggers'. A trigger is different for every Lycan and is something that forces us to shift—usually under great stress. You see, it is healthy for us to shift once a day, but we can usually hold off for about two weeks or so. At that point our body forces us to shift so that we do not harm ourselves. Holding in a shift for that long is like not drinking or eating for weeks. If we do not shift, we could die. It is just how our bodies are chemically made up. If we hold out for too long, or we are under a lot of stress, we become sensitive to certain things that could cause us to shift—our triggers. My trigger is my own negative emotions—anger, sadness, jealousy, frustration, guilt, shame. Whenever I feel those emotions at a certain intensity, my body forces me to shift." Kuroko looked down, fiddling with his hands. "I can usually calm myself down, but the night you came to my house I couldn't and unfortunately…well, you know the rest."

Kagami nodded, now understanding why Kuroko was acting the way he was that night. It also explained why Kuroko was always so unemotional. If he could be triggered into a shift just by feeling sad or angry, it was better to just bury those feelings. Kuroko's monotonous mannerisms made a whole lot of sense now.

He realized something else.

"You were…really upset over the game against Tōō." He closed his eyes, ashamed. "And me distancing myself from you probably didn't help either, did it?"

He knew Kuroko had abandonment issues, thanks to those damned Miracles. And he had to go and act like those bastards. It looked like his 'trying to help' did a lot more harm than good.

He hung his head. "I'm sorry."

Kuroko shook his head stubbornly. "It wasn't your fault, Kagami-kun. I shouldn't have let myself get sucked into my negative emotions and I shouldn't have let them build up like they did. I knew it could happen, yet I wallowed in my own self-pity."

Kagami wanted to protest, but he knew that Kuroko wouldn't listen. The phantom-player would blame himself over his friends for anything. But he knew he had contributed to Kuroko's negativity these past weeks, and even though his Shadow would deny it left and right, it didn't make if any less true. He decided to let it go for now, though. He would make it up to him later.

"It looked like it hurt." He said instead, remembering Kuroko's screams and the way his body had contorted.

"Only when it's forced on me." Kuroko admitted. "I've shifted so many times now that I usually don't feel a thing. It's more like a tickle—especially when sprouting fur. That stuff itches like crazy."

His attempt at humor got a snort from Kagami, who began to laugh immediately after. The mood was finally lightening and Kuroko smiled in relief. The red-head wiped tears from his eyes.

"Wow. My best-friend's a werewolf. How many people can say that? It's a bit surreal." Kagami said with a grin. Kuroko smiled.

"So you don't…see me…differently?" He asked.

Kagami shrugged. "Well, a little—now that I know you're part wolf and all. But I mean, you're still Kuroko, right? Even when you're all wolf-y." He said reassuringly to the smaller boy.

Kuroko smiled, a huge weight being lifted off his shoulders. "That makes me relieved. I was afraid…"

Kagami scoffed, already knowing what he was going to say. "Please. Like I could see you as a monster or anything. Why would you think something like that?" He was a little incredulous.

"Well, Kagami-kun's extreme fear of dogs had me worried that you would be afraid of me." Kuroko deadpanned.

"I-It is not extreme! I just don't like them, ok!? They have shifty eyes!" The red-head defended himself, pointing to his own eye for emphasis.

"So does that mean you don't like me?" And Kuroko said it with those _damned_ _puppy-dog eyes_ he always pulled when he was with Nigou.

"D-Don't look at me with those eyes!" Kagami exclaimed angrily. "And it's not like that! You're only half dog, so it doesn't count!"

"So, that's how it works for you? Kagami-kun is weird." Kuroko suddenly shifted his nose and ears, startling Kagami. "What about now? It still looks like you're afraid."

"W-Well, I just need to get used to it, is all! It's not something I can just turn off!"

Kuroko nodded. "Oh, ok. I understand now. If that's what Kagami-kun needs." Kuroko fully shifted in a blink of an eye, slipping out of his clothes and sitting happily in front of Kagami on the couch, his tail wagging.

Kagami jumped back in surprise, placing a hand over his heart and trying to calm his frazzled nerves.

"Seriously!? You've gotta warn me before you do that! This is worse than you popping up everywhere!" Kuroko nodded in understanding, giving him an apologetic look.

Kagami sat and stared at Kuroko for a few minutes, looking nervous and slightly uncomfortable but much less so than when Kuroko first shifted.

"O-Ok. This isn't so bad. You're not so scary." And it was the truth. Maybe it was because Kuroko still had his human eyes while in this form, giving him a more human than animal feel. The intelligence behind them calmed his nerves.

Kuroko's tail wagged happily. In an effort to calm Kagami even further he lowered his head towards the other teen, offering himself to be petted. Usually he found this demeaning—especially with Murasakibara—but in this case he would let it slide if it helped his Light to get used to him. Kagami, understanding what he wanted, hesitated for a bit, before shakily raising his hand and petting Kuroko's head. The white fur was surprisingly soft and Kagami marveled at how unafraid he was to be doing what he was doing. There was no awkwardness, either, thank goodness. It wasn't every day you were allowed to pet your best friend's head.

He grinned. "See? Like I said, I'm not afraid!" Kuroko's tail wagged harder at that.

Kagami had a sudden thought and he began to laugh almost hysterically, startling Kuroko, who looked at him in concern. '_Oh no, Kagami-kun's finally lost it_.'

After catching his breath, Kagami tried explained. "Isn't it a bit ironic? A basketball-playing teen werewolf? I have the feeling I should start called you Scott Howard!"

Kuroko looked at him, confused, and Kagami sweat-dropped.

"Haven't you ever seen Teen Wolf? With Michael J. Fox? You know, the one about the high schooler who finds out he's a werewolf and plays basketball?" Kagami prompted hopefully.

Kuroko shook his head no, but silently agreed that it was very ironic.

The red-head gave up. "Ah, well, it is an American movie. I'll show it to ya sometime, I think you'd get a kick out of it!"

Kuroko nodded, actually wanting to see it. As Kagami went into a detailed explanation of the movie while continuing to pet his head, Kuroko could not have felt any happier. He was so worried that Kagami would hate him if he knew he was a Lycan, but the reveal went better than he had expected. Kagami accepted him for what he was, and that was more than he could have asked for. It felt like a crushing weight had been lifted off his chest.

Sharing his secret with Kagami was a great decision. He only wished he could tell the rest of Seirin as well. He wasn't quite ready for that though. Someday he would be. But right now, having Kagami, his best friend and his Light, knowing his secret (and accepting him) was enough.

* * *

Note: Wow, this chapter was very long (and so is this note)! 18 pages and 7500 (+) words! I thought it would only be like 11 pages, like the first chapter—but I forgot I was going to include the basketball issues that were present in the canon alongside the werewolf issues. That added like a gazillion pages to it. But I didn't want to break this up into two chapters—I wanted this part of the story to be a two-shot, so it remained a two-shot.

I hope Kuroko and Kagami's conversation didn't seem OOC. I tried to get it to have the feel of their dialogue in the manga and anime. I wrote it after reading chapter 56 of the manga like a million times so I could get things between Hyūga, Kuroko, and Kagami right. At first I was going to include those dialogues as well, but then this chapter would have definitely had to be split into like three or four parts. They talk a lot. About basketball. And I thought that those parts only needed a brief overview so you all could get to the part you really wanted—Kuroko's reveal! Which I hope went ok! I'm a little nervous about it…

Anyways, please review and let me know what you thought! I don't mind if you don't review, but I would like to hear from my readers—even if it's just a smiley face (or God forbid a frowny face—but seriously, no frown-y faces. That's rude)! I would also love favorites or alerts. As long as my story is getting read, I'm dandy!

The next chapter will be coming soon.

Stay Shiny guys!


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